Seedhill Football Ground

The Seedhill Football Ground was a football stadium in Nelson, Lancashire. It was the home of current North West Counties League Division One side Nelson F.C. from 1905 until 1968. Nelson later moved to Victoria Park, before the ground was demolished in 1980 to make way for the M65 motorway.^[1] The ground was situated near to the Seedhill Cricket Ground, currently the home of Lancashire League cricket team Nelson Cricket Club, and the perimeter red brick wall is still visible on the Cricket Ground and Victoria Park sides. In April 2009, the football club announced plans to return to the Seedhill site.^[1]

The stadium was also used for Speedway and Stock car Racing from 1966, and was promoted by Mike Parker Promotions. The speedway team Nelson Admirals eventually moved to Bradford in 1970, though the stock cars remained until the demolition.^[2]

The Stadium had a main stand on the Carr Road side built in 1922 which held 2000 people with concrete terracing on the lower half and a wooden covered upper area with bench seating. There was another single storey stand with just earth and cinder flooring behind the goals at the park end, which was called the scratting shed, and the team changing rooms were behind the town end goals. Two spectator bankings were situated on each corner - the one nearest Carr Road had a wooden building at the top which was called the 'Alpine Bar'. The highest attendance at the stadium was the 14,143 for the Third Division North match between Nelson and Bradford Park Avenue in April 1926.^[3]

References

1. "Nelson FC poised for return to historic home". This Is Lancashire. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
2. "Nelson Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
3. "Nelson Club Information". Nelson F.C. Retrieved 14 February 2010.

Coordinates: 53°50′33.67″N 2°13′18.65″W / 53.8426861°N 2.2218472°W